Engagement Party
by Steph-Schell
Summary: ET celebrates his last day on the Hammersley and his engagement to Nav


Josh grabbed Nikki as she tried to ease by him. "Hey, Nav, got a minute?"

"Sure, what is it?" she asked.

Josh pulled her to a secluded corner. "We're docking tonight," he said. "There was talk of everyone going out to a bar and celebrating my last day on board." His eyes darted around. "Figured that would be a good time to them about…you know." He flicked the chain holding both her dog tags and her engagement ring.

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Nikki nodded. "Is everyone going ot be there?"

"Everyone that matters," Josh replied. "Even the CO is coming along. Should be a big thing."

"You deserve it," Nikki smiled. "It's going to be strange, not seeing you every day."

"You'll see me plenty," Josh promised. "Although you can't see me right now because I need to get back to work."

"ET, you're needed topside," Webb called.

"Yeah, I'll be right there, Spider. Give me a minute."

"The CO said—"

"Give me a minute," Josh insisted. Spider scurried off and Josh turned back to Nav. "Later, okay?"

"Later," she agreed. She leaned up to press a kissed to his cheek. "Love you."

"Love you too."

ET swore the day had never gone so slow. All he wanted was to be out of the Navy and with Nav. Permanently. But he had to play the game just for a little while longer. Finally, it was the end of the day. He insisted everyone come to the bar because he wanted to celebrate properly. Everyone but those on watch, which thankfully didn't include Nav, followed him there.

"The boat won't be the same without you," Spider said.

"Yeah, what are you going to do now?" Swain asked.

"Well, I, uh, I got a job diving for a company that provides coral and fish for pet stores. So, I still get to do what I love I just don't have be up at the ass crack of dawn anymore."

"Such love for the navy, ET," Mike grinned.

"Sorry, boss," he shrugged.

"Not your boss anymore. Now, let's have a toast. To ET. The Hammersley won't be the same without you but we certainly hope this change in life makes you happy."

"To ET," they cheered.

ET smiled at all of them and glanced at Nav who nodded. "Well, since we're on that subject, I have another announcement to make."

"This should be good," Charge grinned. "What is it?"

"It's…it's, uh,…"

"Oh for god sakes," Nav laughed. "ET and I are engaged." She held up her left hand with the ring glittering on it.

The group was silent for a moment until Bomber burst out. "Engaged?" she repeated. "Oh my god, when?"

"A while back," Nav grinned, sliding onto his lap. "Sorry about all the deception and everything but…navy rules and all."

"Which we can no longer be held to because I am not in the Navy," ET pointed out. "Paper work's all filed."

"The two of you were having a relationship on my ship?" Mike demanded.

"Well, not actually on the ship," ET hedged. "More like on leave and stuff."

"He's not in the navy anymore," Nav reminded all of them.

"Let it go," Kate smiled. "How can you stay mad when they look so happy?"

Mike looked at them. Nav was trying to look contrite but ET was too busy looking at Nav. And he looked at her like she had hung the moon. Mike couldn't believe he had missed it when they were working together. "Alright, I guess I can't," he admitted. "Can't believe I missed it though."

"We were very professional on the boat," ET assured him.

"Work always came first," Nav agreed.

"Enough of that, I want to hear about how he proposed," Bomber grinned. "Tell us the story Nav."

"Oh, right, well…uh, he came over to my apartment when we had shore leave. And he had this big box with him right? So inside the box was a fish tank. With a cute little fish in it, you've seen him, Lancelot."

"Oh he's adorable," Bomber nodded.

"Yeah but what does that have to do with a proposal?" Spider asked.

"She's getting to it, pipe down," ET ordered. He kissed Nikki's shoulder. "Go on, darling."

"Right, so as I was saying, we stood there admiring the tank and he told me about how he was going to leave the Navy and all that. Then he asks me what else I saw in the tank and I said a treasure chest. So he says 'what do you keep in a treasure chest?'."

"The ring was in there?" Kate breathed.

Nav nodded. "He pulled it out and then got down on one knee and…" She turned and kissed ET.

"And that, mates, is how you get a woman," ET declared once he pulled away.

"Congratulations you two," Kate smiled.

"I hope you're as happy as Sally and I," Swain agreed.

"We're invited to the wedding right?" Bomber asked hopefully.

ET and Nav laughed. "Course you're invited," he told her. "All of you. Nav will hand deliver the invites once we've set a date. We were thinking…April right?" he asked her.

"April," Nikki nodded. "I like the idea of a spring wedding."

ET looked at Mike. "She can get leave for that right?"

"I don't know, you two were lying to me for awhile," Mike frowned. There was a chorus of boos from the crew. "Of course you can have leave. As long as you need."

Josh smiled at Nikki. "I love you," he murmured.

"I love you too," she smiled. "And now we don't have to hide it."

"Never again," Josh agreed.

"So, you're actually going to leave your wife on a Navy ship surrounded by men?" Bomber asked. "And you aren't worried?"

"Aw, not in the slightest," ET grinned. "I know my Nikki." He smiled at his fiancée. "You'd never do that to me."

"Not ever," she nodded. She kissed him again. "I'm actually glad he's leaving. I don't have to worry about him being on all those dangerous boarding parties and everything. He's finally going to be doing some thing safe."

"Yeah easy for you to say," ET snickered. "Now I've got to worry about you."

"Don't worry, I keep her safe on the bridge," Mike assured him.

"Besides, isn't diving dangerous?" Spider pointed out. "I mean, you could get in trouble if you don't have the right mix in the tanks and such."

"It's only until we have kids," ET replied, slipping both hands around Nikki's waist.

"What's going to happen when we have kids?" she frowned.

"Oh, well, I thought I'd be a stay at home dad."

"You?" Charge laughed. "you're just going to spend all your time looking after the kids while your wife is out with the Navy?"

"I think I'd be a good dad," ET frowned. He turned to Nikki. "You'll be making good money with the navy; we'll save what I make from diving. Unless you have a problem…"

"No problem," Nikki grinned. She looked at her friends. "I've actually found the perfect man."

"To ET and Nav," Swain declared. "Lucky enough to find love on the Hammersley."

Everyone took up the cheer. Josh held Nikki close. He was leaving the Hammersley but he still had his crew. Whatever life threw at him and Nikki they could handle it.


End file.
